Hooded gunmen stormed the Paris offices of a weekly satirical magazine renowned for lampooning radical Islam, killing at least 12 people, including two police officers in the worst militant attack on French soil in recent decades.
One of the men was captured on video shouting “Allah!” as four shots rang out. Two assailants are then seen calmly leaving the scene and remain at large.
Charlie Hebdo (Charlie Weekly) is renowned for courting controversy with satirical attacks on political and religious leaders and has published numerous cartoons lampooning the Prophet Mohammad.
“This is a terrorist attack, there is no doubt about it,” President Francois Hollande told reporters after rushing to the scene of the attack. His government raised France’s security level to the highest notch and scheduled an emergency cabinet meeting.
The gunmen fled towards the eastern Paris suburbs after holding up a car, police officials said.
“There is possibility of other attacks and other sites are being secured,” Police union official Rocco Contento said.
Prime Minister Manuel Valls also said security would be ramped up at transport hubs, religious sites, media offices and department stores.
Another 20 people were injured in the attack, including four or five critically.
The attack was as yet unclaimed. A firebomb attack had also gutted the headquarters of Charlie Hebdo in November 2011 after it put an image of the Prophet Mohammad on its cover.
